Engineered PDGFA-ligand-modified exosomes delivery T3 for demyelinating disease targeted therapy.

Demyelination is a proper syndrome in plenty of central nervous system (CNS) diseases, which is the main obstacle to recovery and still lacks an effective treatment. To overcome the limitations of the brain-blood barrier on drug permeability, we modified an exosome secreted by neural stem cells (NSCs), which had transfected with lentivirus armed with platelet-derived growth factors A (PDGFA)-ligand. Through the in vivo and in vitro exosomes targeting test, the migration ability to the lesion areas and OPCs significantly improved after ligand modification. Furthermore, the targeted exosomes loaded with 3,5, 30-L-triiodothyronine (T3) have a critical myelination ability in CNS development, administrated to the cuprizone animal model treatment. The data shows that the novel drug vector loaded with T3 significantly promotes remyelination compared with T3 alone. At the same time, it improved the CNS microenvironment by reducing astrogliosis, inhibiting pro-inflammatory microglia, and alleviating axon damage. This investigation provides a straightforward strategy to produce a targeting exosome and indicates a possible therapeutic manner for demyelinating disease.

Bipolar Molecular Torque Wrench Modulates the Stacking of Two-Dimensional Metal-Organic Framework Nanosheets.

The precise modulation of nanosheet stacking modes introduces unforeseen properties and creates momentous applications but remains a challenge. Herein, we proposed a strategy using bipolar molecules as torque wrenches to control the stacking modes of 2-D Zr-1,3,5-(4-carboxylphenyl)-benzene metal-organic framework (2-D Zr-BTB MOF) nanosheets. The bipolar phenyl-alkanes, phenylmethane (P-C1) and phenyl ethane (P-C2), predominantly instigated the rotational stacking of Zr-BTB-P-C1 and Zr-BTB-P-C2, displaying a wide angular distribution. This included Zr-BTB-P-C1 orientations at 0, 12, 18, and 24° and Zr-BTB-P-C2 orientations at 0, 6, 12, 15, 24, and 30°. With reduced polarity, phenyl propane (P-C3) and phenyl pentane (P-C5) introduced steric hindrance and facilitated alkyl hydrophobic interactions with the nanosheets, primarily resulting in the modulation of eclipsed stacking for Zr-BTB-P-C3 (64.8%) and Zr-BTB-P-C5 (93.3%) nanosheets. The precise angle distributions of four Zr-BTB-P species were in agreement with theoretical calculations. The alkyl induction mechanism was confirmed by the sequential guest replacement and 2-D 13C-1H heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR). In addition, at the single-particle level, we first observed that rotational stacked pores exhibited similar desorption rates for xylene isomers, while eclipsed stacked pores showed significant discrepancy for xylenes. Moreover, the eclipsed nanosheets as stationary phases exhibited high resolution, selectivity, repeatability, and durability for isomer separation. The universality was proven by another series of bipolar acetate-alkanes. This bipolar molecular torque wrench strategy provides an opportunity to precisely control the stacking modes of porous nanosheets.

Fabrication and Study of Dextran/Sulfonated Polysulfone Blend Membranes for Low-Density Lipoprotein Adsorption.

The abnormal increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in human blood is a main independent risk factor for the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, whereas a reduced LDL level effectively lowers morbidity. It is important to develop LDL adsorption materials with high efficiency and selectivity, as well as to simplify their fabrication processes. In this paper, polysulfone (PSF), sulfonated polysulfone (SPSF), and sulfonated polysulfone/dextran (SPSF/GLU) membranes were successfully fabricated for LDL adsorption using a solution casting technique. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements confirmed the success of the preparation. The water contact angle decreased from 89.7 ± 3.4° (PSF) to 76.4 ± 3.2° (SPSF) and to 71.2 ± 1.9° (SPSF/GLU), respectively. BSA adsorption testing showed that the SPSF/GLU with surface enrichment of sulfonate groups and glycosyl groups possessed higher resistance to protein solution. The adsorption and desorption behaviors of the studied samples in single-protein or binary-protein solutions were systematically investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), The results showed that SPSF/GLU, which had excellent resistance to protein adsorption, possessed a similar adsorption capacity to that of PSF. SPSF membrane exhibited excellent selective affinity for LDL in single and binary protein solutions, suggesting potential applications in LDL removal.

Emergent weak antilocalization and wide-temperature-range electronic phase diagram in epitaxial RuO2thin film.

Binary ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) has gradually attracted much attention in condensed matter physics and material sciences due to its various intriguing physical properties, such as strain-induced superconductivity, anomalous Hall effect, collinear anti-ferromagnetism, etc. However, its complex emergent electronic states and the corresponding phase diagram over a wide temperature range remain unexplored, which is critically important to understanding the underlying physics and exploring its final physical properties and functionalities. Here, through optimizing the growth conditions by using versatile pulsed laser deposition, high-quality epitaxial RuO2thin films with clear lattice structure are obtained, upon which the electronic transport is investigated, and emergent electronic states and the relevant physical properties are unveiled. Firstly, at a high-temperature range, it is the Bloch-Grüneisen state, instead of the common Fermi liquid metallic state, that dominates the electrical transport behavior. Moreover, the recently reported anomalous Hall effect is also revealed, which confirms the presence of the Berry phase in the energy band structure. More excitingly, we find that above the superconductivity transition temperature, a new positive magnetic resistance quantum coherent state with an unusual dip as well as an angel-dependent critical magnetic field emerges, which can be attributed to the weak antilocalization effect. Lastly, the complex phase diagram with multiple intriguing emergent electronic states over a wide temperature range is mapped. The results greatly promote the fundamental physics understanding of the binary oxide RuO2and provide guidelines for its practical applications and functionalities.

In-situ constructed Cu/CuNC interfaces for low-overpotential reduction of CO2 to ethanol.

Electrochemical CO2 reduction (ECR) to high-value multi-carbon (C2+) products is critical to sustainable energy conversion, yet the high energy barrier of C-C coupling causes catalysts to suffer high overpotential and low selectivity toward specific liquid C2+ products. Here, the electronically asymmetric Cu-Cu/Cu-N-C (Cu/CuNC) interface site is found, by theoretical calculations, to enhance the adsorption of *CO intermediates and decrease the reaction barrier of C-C coupling in ECR, enabling efficient C-C coupling at low overpotential. The catalyst consisting of high-density Cu/CuNC interface sites (noted as ER-Cu/CuNC) is then accordingly designed and constructed in situ on the high-loading Cu-N-C single atomic catalysts. Systematical experiments corroborate the theoretical prediction that the ER-Cu/CuNC boosts electrocatalytic CO2-to-ethanol conversion with a Faradaic efficiency toward C2+ of 60.3% (FEethanol of 55%) at a low overpotential of -0.35 V. These findings provide new insights and an attractive approach to creating electronically asymmetric dual sites for efficient conversion of CO2 to C2+ products.

Interfacial assembly of binary atomic metal-Nx sites for high-performance energy devices.

Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells and Zn-air batteries based on non-Pt group metal catalysts typically suffer from sluggish cathodic oxygen reduction. Designing advanced catalyst architectures to improve the catalyst's oxygen reduction activity and boosting the accessible site density by increasing metal loading and site utilization are potential ways to achieve high device performances. Herein, we report an interfacial assembly strategy to achieve binary single-atomic Fe/Co-Nx with high mass loadings through constructing a nanocage structure and concentrating high-density accessible binary single-atomic Fe/Co-Nx sites in a porous shell. The prepared FeCo-NCH features metal loading with a single-atomic distribution as high as 7.9 wt% and an accessible site density of around 7.6 × 1019 sites g-1, surpassing most reported M-Nx catalysts. In anion exchange membrane fuel cells and zinc-air batteries, the FeCo-NCH material delivers peak power densities of 569.0 or 414.5 mW cm-2, 3.4 or 2.8 times higher than control devices assembled with FeCo-NC. These results suggest that the present strategy for promoting catalytic site utilization offers new possibilities for exploring efficient low-cost electrocatalysts to boost the performance of various energy devices.

Damage analysis and mechanism study of sol-gel coating over KDP crystal under multi-pulse of laser irradiation at low flux.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the damage of antireflective (AR) coating over potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystal subjected to multi-pulse laser irradiation at low flux under vacuum. Fresh silica AR was characterized as a reference; Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), profilometer, and Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscope Photo-induced Force Microscope (SNOM-PiFM) were employed to analyze the characteristics of coatings. The experimental results indicated that the damage of AR coating over the KDP crystal was mainly caused by partial exfoliation, which exposed silica particles beneath the surface. It was found that the accumulated tensile stress led to coating damage with the increase of laser pulse. The initial coating damage was observed to extend and interconnect to form large-area exfoliation. Splitting mechanism of SiO-Si TO3 was observed at vibration mode peaks of 1064 cm-1 and 1096 cm-1showing progressing irradiation damage. Based on this study, it would be helpful to suppress the damage probability of AR coating over KDP crystal applied in high-power laser systems. Moreover, the applicability of SNOM-PiFM method to study the Infrared Radiation (IR) spectra of ultra-thin coatings with transparent substrates was proposed.

Polo-like kinase 1 promotes Cdc42-induced actin polymerization for asymmetric division in oocytes.

Polo-like kinase I (Plk1) is a highly conserved seronine/threonine kinase essential in meiosis and mitosis for spindle formation and cytokinesis. Here, through temporal application of Plk1 inhibitors, we identify a new role for Plk1 in the establishment of cortical polarity essential for highly asymmetric cell divisions of oocyte meiosis. Application of Plk1 inhibitors in late metaphase I abolishes pPlk1 from spindle poles and prevents the induction of actin polymerization at the cortex through inhibition of local recruitment of Cdc42 and Neuronal Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein (N-WASP). By contrast, an already established polar actin cortex is insensitive to Plk1 inhibitors, but if the polar cortex is first depolymerized, Plk1 inhibitors completely prevent its restoration. Thus, Plk1 is essential for establishment but not maintenance of cortical actin polarity. These findings indicate that Plk1 regulates recruitment of Cdc42 and N-Wasp to coordinate cortical polarity and asymmetric cell division.

[Seminal plasma exosomes and sperm DNA fragmentation index: A metabolomics analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the difference in the levels of metabolites in the seminal plasma exosomes (SPE) of men with a high sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) from those with a low DFI. METHODS: We performed a sperm exosomal metabolomics analysis of 5 healthy married men with DFI ≤15% (the control group) and another 5 with DFI ≥30% and matched in marital status, age and body mass index with the controls (the case group). Using high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrum, we examined the metabolites, observed their difference, and analyzed the metabolite enrichment pathway by Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG). According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we also selected 11 men in the control group and 20 men in the case group, and detected the differences in the seminal plasma amino acid and carnitine between the two groups using liquid measurement systems. RESULTS: After primary and secondary analyses and qualified screening, 23 metabolites related to sperm DNA integrity were obtained, including 9 organic acids, 2 amino acid intermediate metabolites, and 11 acylcarnitine, purine, niacin and other intermediate products. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that 23 metabolites were mainly involved in the sphingoid signaling pathway, niacin and niacinamide metabolic pathway, and arginine and proline metabolic pathway. Further verification revealed no difference in the level of seminal plasma amino acid between the two groups, and significantly lower levels of seminal plasma acylcarnitine, free carnitine, propionylcarnitine, 3-hydroxybutyrylcarnitine and malonylcarnitine, 3-hydroxyisovalerylcarnitine and succinylcarnitine, and isoamyl (enylcarnitine) in the case group than in the controls (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: There are significant differences in the levels of the metabolites organic acids, amino acids and acylcarnitine in the SPE of males with a high DFI from those with a low DFI. The level of seminal plasma acylcarnitine is significantly correlated with sperm DFI, which can be used as an indicator in quantitative and rapid assessment of the degree of sperm DNA damage.

Transient Polycomb activity represses developmental genes in growing oocytes.

BACKGROUND: Non-genetic disease inheritance and offspring phenotype are substantially influenced by germline epigenetic programming, including genomic imprinting. Loss of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) function in oocytes causes non-genetically inherited effects on offspring, including embryonic growth restriction followed by post-natal offspring overgrowth. While PRC2-dependent non-canonical imprinting is likely to contribute, less is known about germline epigenetic programming of non-imprinted genes during oocyte growth. In addition, de novo germline mutations in genes encoding PRC2 lead to overgrowth syndromes in human patients, but the extent to which PRC2 activity is conserved in human oocytes is poorly understood. RESULTS: In this study, we identify a discrete period of early oocyte growth during which PRC2 is expressed in mouse growing oocytes. Deletion of Eed during this window led to the de-repression of 343 genes. A high proportion of these were developmental regulators, and the vast majority were not imprinted genes. Many of the de-repressed genes were also marked by the PRC2-dependent epigenetic modification histone 3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) in primary-secondary mouse oocytes, at a time concurrent with PRC2 expression. In addition, we found H3K27me3 was also enriched on many of these genes by the germinal vesicle (GV) stage in human oocytes, strongly indicating that this PRC2 function is conserved in the human germline. However, while the 343 genes were de-repressed in mouse oocytes lacking EED, they were not de-repressed in pre-implantation embryos and lost H3K27me3 during pre-implantation development. This implies that H3K27me3 is a transient feature that represses a wide range of genes in oocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these data indicate that EED has spatially and temporally distinct functions in the female germline to repress a wide range of developmentally important genes and that this activity is conserved in the mouse and human germlines.

Integrative analysis of differentially expressed mRNAs and proteins induced by PGC-1ß in breast cancer cells.

Breast cancer is one of the most frequent malignancies in females. The molecular mechanism of how breast cancer development and recurrence still need to be explored. Peroxisome gamma coactivator-1ß (PGC-1ß) was engaged in cancer energy metabolism and tumor genesis. However, the mechanisms of PGC-1ß in breast cancer have not been fully understood. In this study, PCG-1ß overexpressed and knockdown vectors were transferred into MCF-7 cells. With the association-quantitative connection analysis, the different expressions of mRNAs and proteins were examined. Additionally, the terms on differentially expressed mRNAs and proteins were enriched by GO and KEGG. Based on the results, 1872 differentially expressed genes were identified in the up-regulated of PGC-1ß group, and 1318 genes were found in the down-regulated of PGC-1ß cells. With the label-free technique, 221 differentially expressed proteins were screened in PGC-1ß up-regulated group, and 459 proteins were identified in PGC-1ß down-regulated group. Correlation analysis showed that 49 significantly expressed mRNA-protein pairs in OV vs CT groups and 25 paired in SI vs CT groups. Combined analysis of transcriptome and proteome demonstrated that PGC-1ß plays a important role in cancer energy metabolism and boosting the pace of chemical processes in the proliferation of breast cancer cells. Additional investigation about PGC-1ß and energy metabolism in cancer cells may shed fresh light on the growth and treatment of breast cancer cells.

Buffering the local pH via single-atomic Mn-N auxiliary sites to boost CO2 electroreduction.

Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction driven by renewable energy has become a promising approach to rebalance the carbon cycle. Atomically dispersed transition metals anchored on N-doped carbon supports (M-N-C) have been considered as the most attractive catalysts to catalyze CO2 to CO. However, the sluggish kinetics of M-N-C limits the large-scale application of this type of catalyst. Here, it is found that the introduction of single atomic Mn-N auxiliary sites could effectively buffer the locally generated OH- on the catalytic interface of the single-atomic Ni-N-C sites, thus accelerating proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) steps to enhance the CO2 electroreduction to CO. The constructed diatomic Ni/Mn-N-C catalysts show a CO faradaic efficiency of 96.6% and partial CO current density of 13.3 mA cm-2 at -0.76 V vs. RHE, outperforming that of monometallic single-atomic Ni-N-C or Mn-N-C counterparts. The results suggest that constructing synergistic catalytic sites to regulate the surface local microenvironment might be an attractive strategy for boosting CO2 electroreduction to value-added products.

Intracranial tumors mimicking benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: A case series.

Background: A few intracranial lesions may present only with positional vertigo which are very easy to misdiagnose as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV); the clinicians should pay more attention to this disease. Objectives: To analyze the clinical characteristics of 6 patients with intracranial tumors who only presented with positional vertigo to avoid misdiagnosing the disease. Material and methods: Six patients with intracranial tumors who only presented with positional vertigo treated in our clinic between May 2015 to May 2019 were reviewed, and the clinical symptoms, features of nystagmus, imaging presentation, and final diagnosis of the patients were evaluated. Results: All patients presented with positional vertigo and positional nystagmus induced by the changes in head position or posture, including one case with downbeating nystagmus in a positional test, two cases with left-beating nystagmus, one case with apogeotropic nystagmus in a roll test, one case with right-beating nystagmus, and one case with left-beating and upbeating nystagmus. Brain MRI showed the regions of the tumors were in the vermis of the cerebellum, the fourth ventricle, the lateral ventricle, and the cerebellar hemisphere.

Efficacy and safety of Dengyinnaotong Capsule in patients with Cognitive impairment caused by cerebral Small Vessel Disease: study protocol of a multicenter, randomized, open-label, controlled trial (De-CSVD trial).

BACKGROUND: Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a common syndrome in the older population, with a prevalence ranging from 5% in subjects aged 50 years to almost 100% in those aged 90 years and older. It is regarded to be a major cause of vascular cognitive impairment. Existing prevention and treatment approaches have not yet shown ideal clinical outcomes. Dengyinnaotong Capsule has shown great potential for improving cognitive function. This trial (De-CSVD trial) is designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of Dengyinnaotong Capsule on cognitive function in patients with CSVD . METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, open-label, controlled trial is planned to recruit at least 270 patients with mild cognitive impairment related to CSVD in 25 centers in China. Recruitment started on 10 May 2021 and is foreseen to end on 31 December 2022. The final follow-up of participants will be completed by the end of March 2023. Participants will be randomized in a ratio of 1:1 to the experimental group (routine basic treatment plus Dengyinnaotong Capsule) or the control group (routine basic treatment). The primary outcome is the change in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score from baseline to week 12. Secondary outcomes are changes in Shape Trail Test, Activities of Daily Living, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Dizziness Handicap Inventory score from baseline to week 12, new vascular events, and the changes in serum level of homocysteine, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and D-dimer from baseline to week 4 and 12, respectively. The exploratory outcome is the changes in the Tinetti performance-oriented mobility assessment score from baseline to week 12. Safety assessment is performed by monitoring vital signs, general biochemical examinations, 12-lead electrocardiogram examinations, and incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular ischemia or bleeding events. Visits will be performed at week 0 (baseline, pre-randomization), week 4, and week 12 in the treatment period (post-randomization). DISCUSSION: This trial is the first to investigate the efficacy and safety of Dengyinnaotong Capsule on cognitive impairment in patients with CSVD. The findings of this study might provide convincing evidence regarding the efficacy of Dengyinnaotong Capsule in patients with mild cognitive impairment related to CSVD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100045831. Registered on 25 April 2021.

A Fisher Information-Based Incompatibility Criterion for Quantum Channels.

We introduce a new incompatibility criterion for quantum channels based on the notion of (quantum) Fisher information. Our construction is based on a similar criterion for quantum measurements put forward by H. Zhu. We then study the power of the incompatibility criterion in different scenarios. First, we prove the first analytical conditions for the incompatibility of two Schur channels. Then, we study the incompatibility structure of a tuple of depolarizing channels, comparing the newly introduced criterion with the known results from asymmetric quantum cloning.

Linker Scissoring Strategy Enables Precise Shaping of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Chromatographic Separation.

Precise shaping of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is significant in both fundamental coordination chemistry and practical applications, such as catalysis, separation, and biomedicine. Herein, we demonstrated a linker scissoring strategy for precisely shaping MOFs through surface conformational pairing. In this strategy, the bidentate linkers which were designed according to the original tetratopic ligands and the coordination environment of MOF surfaces, were utilized as the covering agents. The shape of these covering agents and the surface conformation of metals onto MOFs restricted them to coordinate on specific MOF facets thus precisely controlling the shape of the MOFs. Different shapes of PCN-608 from nanoplate (PCN-NP) to nanorod (PCN-NR) have been targeted by adding different bidentate linkers. The universality of this strategy was demonstrated by controlling the shapes of the NU-MOFs from nanoplate to nanorod. This strategy provides a new guiding principle to synthesize MOF nanocrystals with controlled shapes.

Depletion of oocyte dynamin-related protein 1 shows maternal-effect abnormalities in embryonic development.

Eggs contain about 200,000 mitochondria that generate adenosine triphosphate and metabolites essential for oocyte development. Mitochondria also integrate metabolism and transcription via metabolites that regulate epigenetic modifiers, but there is no direct evidence linking oocyte mitochondrial function to the maternal epigenome and subsequent embryo development. Here, we have disrupted oocyte mitochondrial function via deletion of the mitochondrial fission factor Drp1. Fission-deficient oocytes exhibit a high frequency of failure in peri- and postimplantation development. This is associated with altered mitochondrial function, changes in the oocyte transcriptome and proteome, altered subcortical maternal complex, and a decrease in oocyte DNA methylation and H3K27me3. Transplanting pronuclei of fertilized Drp1 knockout oocytes to normal ooplasm fails to rescue embryonic lethality. We conclude that mitochondrial function plays a role in establishing the maternal epigenome, with serious consequences for embryo development.

The Mutation Analysis of the AMT Gene in a Chinese Family With Nonketotic Hyperglycinemia.

Background: Nonketotic hyperglycinemia is a metabolic disease with autosomal recessive inheritance due to the glycine cleavage system (GCS) defect leading to the accumulation of glycine that causes severe and fatal neurological symptoms in the neonatal period. Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of the female proband and her family members. The AMT variation was detected in the patient by whole-exome sequencing (WES), and the variant was validated by Sanger sequencing. Results: The WES showed that there were novel compound heterozygous frameshift variations c.977delA (p.Glu326Glyfs*12) and c.982_983insG (p.Ala328Glyfs*22) in exon eight of the AMT gene (NM_000481.4) in the proband. Genetic analysis showed that the former was inherited from the mother, and the latter was inherited from the father. Conclusion: We report the novel compound heterozygous variation of the AMT gene in a Chinese girl with NKH by WES, which has never been reported previously. Our case expanded the AMT gene mutation spectrum, further strengthened the understanding of NKH, and deepened the genetic and clinical heterogeneity of the disease. However, the study of treatment and prognosis is still our future challenge and focus.

Identification and functional characterization of an immune adapter molecular TRIF in Northeast Chinese lamprey (Lethenteron morii).

The TIR domain-containing adaptor inducing IFN-ß (TRIF) is an adaptor molecule that plays a critical role in the Toll-like receptors (TLRs)-mediated innate immune signaling pathway. Lamprey, as the most primitive jawless vertebrate, rely mainly on innate immunity to defend against various pathogens infection. The function of TRIF in lamprey remains unknown. In this study, a homologous adaptor molecule TRIF, named LmTRIF, was identified in Northeast Chinese lamprey (Lethenteron morii). The LmTRIF coding sequence (cds) is 1242 bp in length and encodes 413 amino acids (aa). Domain analysis showed that LmTRIF is characterized with the classical TIR domain and a lack of TRAF6 binding motif. The results of evolutionary tree indicated that the relationship between LmTRIF and other homologous proteins was consistent with the position of lamprey in the species evolutionary history. The relative expression of LmTRIF was highest in the liver of larvae and in the gill of adults, respectively. Cellular immunofluorescence assays showed that LmTRIF was expressed in the cytoplasma in both mammalian cell line HEK 293T and the fish cell line EPC. The double luciferase reporter gene assay showed that the overexpression of LmTRIF promoted the activity of NF-κB, an immune transcription factor downstream of the classical TLR signaling pathway. In this study, we identified the TLR adaptor molecule TRIF from L. morii, a vertebrate more primitive than fish. Our results suggested an important role of LmTRIF in the innate immune signal transduction process of L. morii and is the basis for the origin and evolution of the TLR signaling pathway in the innate immune system in vertebrates.

Anion Doping for Layered Oxides with a Solid-Solution Reaction for Potassium-Ion Battery Cathodes.

The development of potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) is challenged by the shortage of stable cathode materials capable of reversibly hosting the large-sized K+ (1.38 Å), which is prone to cause severe structural degradation and complex phase evolution during the potassiation/depotassiation process. Here, we identified that anionic doping of the layered oxides for PIBs is effective to combat their capacity fading at high voltage (>4.0 V). Taking P2-type K2/3Mn7/9Ni1/9Ti1/9O17/9F1/9 (KMNTOF) as an example, we showed that the partial substitution of O2- by F- enlarged the interlayer distance of the K2/3Mn7/9Ni1/9Ti1/9O2 (KMNTO), which becomes more favorable for fast K+ transition without violent structural destruction. Meanwhile, based on the experimental data and theoretical results, we identified that the introduction of F- anions effectively increased the redox-active Mn cationic concentration by lowering the average valence of the Mn element, accordingly providing more reversible capacity derived from the Mn3+/4+ redox couple, rather than oxygen redox. This anionic doping strategy enables the KMNTOF cathode to deliver a high reversible capacity of 132.5 mAh g-1 with 0.53 K+ reversible (de)intercalation in the structure. We expect that the discovery provides new insights into structural engineering for pursuing stable cathodes to facilitate the future applications of high-performance PIBs.